Tiny fixer-upper fulfills big dream for suddenly single architect

Architect Laura de la Torre turned a tiny bungalow in Albany into a two-story home for herself and her two sons.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

Back in 2011, architect and designer Laura de la Torre persuaded her then-husband to check out a fixer-upper in Albany. There was little about this 560-square-foot 1930s bungalow that was not in need of fixing: It was full of mold, covered in old linoleum and filled with a scent that could only tastefully be described as eau de feline.

But it had a new foundation, and de la Torre saw potential: a new kitchen; bright colors; her two little boys climbing the sprawling low-limbed tree in the backyard; and, eventually, a second floor.

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The couple offered less than the seller was asking and their bid was rejected.

Less than a year later, de la Torre found herself suddenly single with her two small boys, Tomas, 6, and Mateo, 3, living in a large four-bedroom rental in Oakland. The space felt cavernous. She was again drawn to the scrappy little Albany bungalow and discovered that it was still on the market and, in a rare Bay Area phenomenon, the price had plummeted. This time, her bid was accepted.

“I didn’t think too much, I just did it,” de la Torre says.

De la Torre scraped together a budget of $80,000 for phase one of her remodel plan: Move the kitchen to the other side of the house; transform the original kitchen space into a dining room; remodel the only bathroom; remove the linoleum and add hardwood; restore the original 1930s hardwood in the living room; and replace all the windows. Work began in March with the goal of finishing by June.

The timing was good for taking on an all-consuming task. “My energy was really focused on creating,” de la Torre says. The work was finished on time and on budget.

The dinning room in Laura de la Torre’s Albany home.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

Two days before move-in, panic set in. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, what am I doing moving from a four-bedroom house to a no-bedroom house?’” The makeshift bedroom for the family of three would be the living room until de la Torre had the budget for phase two. That turned out to be two years later.

But no one suffered. A garage sale liquidated overflow belongings, and the rest was piled into the detached garage. The spacious backyard gave the boys a place to run. The tiny home became an oasis: “I remember getting here to move in — it was my place, I bought it, I remodeled it. It felt so good.”

Phase two began in early 2015, and the family had to move out. The plan was to add a second floor with three bedrooms, a bathroom and two balconies. The square footage was increased by extending 4 feet off the back of the second level and adding a deck on the ground floor off the kitchen.

Nine months later, the second floor was mostly ready. The addition doubled the square footage, giving each family member a bedroom of their own. A few finishing touches remained: painting, mostly, but de la Torre was ready to stop paying rent on top of her mortgage.

She also decided some things were better left unfinished. Most of the shelving and closets are open. The staircase and built-in bookshelf are constructed with LVL wood, which is covered in markings that would typically be painted or otherwise covered.

“But I said just leave the marks, I like it,” de la Torre says.

Laura de la Torre’s kitchen.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

She accommodated the two boys with a large space separated by a pocket door. These days it stays open and serves as a play space, but de la Torre is planning for the day when older Tomas, now almost 10, will want his privacy.

Looking at the outside of the home, no one would imagine it was built in two pieces. De la Torre used windows and strategic painting to connect the home’s lines both vertically and horizontally. The exposed pipes, bright colors and modern silhouette both stand out and fit right in on a street lined with eclectic bungalows, some with manicured landscaping, others decorated with totem poles and dream catchers.

De la Torre's five-year journey, ultimately, brought her home in the truest sense.

16of 19Laura de la Torre and sons, Tomas and Matteo, at the home she transformed in two phases into a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house.Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

17of 19A shelving unit in Laura de la Torre’s remodeled home in Albany.Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

18of 19Storage bins in Laura de la Torre’s Albany home.Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

19of 19Bookshelf in Laura de la Torre’s Albany home.Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

At the same time, she feels free enough that she could pick up the boys and move anytime. Two more garage sales later, the detached garage is now empty and poised to become her next project: a rental with a bedroom and bath.

Stairwell of architect Laura de la Torre's recently remodeled home in Albany

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special to The Chronicle

Get light

“I have moved so many times, and lived for two years in a small space, so I had to get rid of a lot. I have loved getting light; I don’t feel attached to anything.”

Be flexible

“I had to be really creative with the kitchen because I didn’t have a big budget. So I left it open above with Ikea shelving and spent a little more on eco-cabinets underneath.”

Negotiate for perfection (or close to it)

“I learned that maybe not everything will be perfect, but negotiation skills are key to getting what you need or at least close to what you dream. And I like it to be not perfect. I like when it feels like people use it, like people live there.”

Write it down

When de la Torre had a moment of panic two days before moving into the first version of her new home, she calmed her nerves by making a sketch of where her furniture would go — and committed to getting rid of the rest. “I realized you can live in a really small space.”

Patience and persistence

It took five years from the time her bid was accepted, but de la Torre and her boys now live in their dream home: “I learned that anything is possible.”